29 become U.S. citizens in Longmont

Twin Peaks Charter Academy hosts naturalization ceremony

LONGMONT -- Five years of studying and waiting ended Wednesday for 29 immigrants.

At Twin Peaks Charter School, they took the Oath of Allegiance, said the Pledge of Allegiance and received certificates declaring them citizens of the United States.

"I love it here, me and my wife, we love it here," said Asghar Shirmohammadali, who came from Iran to study at the University of California at Davis and now lives in Longmont. "This is my country now. I've been living here 23 years and I'm not planning to leave."

Immigrants who are lawful permanent residents must wait, in most cases, five years after obtaining their green card to apply for citizenship.

Between 7,000 and 8,000 people become citizens each year through the Denver field office -- and 700,000 to 800,000 each year throughout the country -- said Dana Lindauer, a supervisor of immigration services in the Denver office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

From Taiwan, Ming Chieh Lin, came to the U.S. in 2001 and moved to Boulder five years ago, he said. A physicist, he works for a private company there.

U.S. Citizenship Test

To become a citizen, applicants must answer six of 10 questions correctly during an oral exam. To see the 100 possible questions -- or to take the test yourself -- visit http://tinyurl.com/uscitizenshiptest.

"I can have more freedom," he replied when asked why he became a citizen.

But even though becoming a citizen gives immigrants the right to vote, the chance to travel without restriction outside of the U.S. and even the opportunity to run for office, millions of permanent residents never become citizens, said Andy Lambrecht, field office director for Immigration Services.

Lambrecht thanked the immigrants "for making the choice to become an American. It's not something you had to do. ... It's something you had to choose to do."

As her mother Maria Sarmientos watches, 11-year-old Jazmine Sarmientos, photographs the citizenship certificate her father, Mario Sarmientos, received Wednesday when he became a citizen.
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He encouraged them to "be a full participant in our democracy" by being involved in their communities.

"It's really easy to come to this country and take it for granted," Lambrecht said.

"Contributing as a citizen is vital. ... It's something you need to do," Buchmann said.

The school's eighth-grade students watched the naturalization ceremony and had the chance to meet some of the new citizens afterward.

Wednesday's ceremony was not the first that Israel Sosa had seen, he said. The 14-year-old from Longmont attended his father's naturalization ceremony in 2008.

"I know a lot of people here worked hard for it," Israel said.

Michele Sachs from France, Ming Chieh Lin from Taiwan and Srdgan Pajic from Serbia take the Oath of Allegiance during a naturalization ceremony Wednesday at Twin Peaks Charter Academy in Longmont. Twenty-nine people became citizens during the event.
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The 29 people who became citizens Wednesday came from 19 countries, including Austria, Egypt, India, Kenya, South Korea, Singapore and Yugoslavia, Lindauer said.

Students Kinsey Anderson of Erie, Corina Goodrich and Isha Karki, both of Longmont, said they were moved by the ceremony and by the families in attendance.